My (Broken) Plateau and Me

Hello!

I'll start out with a little NSV! Yesterday I wanted to try on my skinny jeans (which I haven't been wearing because it's SOOO hot). I put them on and was disappointed. They fit just a little better than they used to, but it was clear I couldn't go down a size. I looked at the tag and it was a size 10, I thought I had my size 12's on! I was a 14 at the beginning of this, and I can't remember the last time I was in a 10. Skinny Jeans are the ultimate "I really can't lie to myself" clothing piece.

Anyway..

For the past 2.5-ish weeks I've had more success than I have in the past year. I began around 180 last August, and I hit 160 around the end of January. I plateaued there until April, which was my 21st birthday month... and I gained 7 pounds. Well THAT got me motivated and I hit 160 again... for another 2.5 months. This summer I am home from school, and I haven't been home for more than 2 weeks in 5 years. My mom began her weight loss journey about the same time as me, and she has lost 80 lbs! SO proud! But it has been awesome because we keep each other motivated. I amped up my exercise and I have been working as a therapeutic horse back riding instructor plus loads of barn work. However... I still didn't lose anything.

Every body is different, and will respond to different mechanisms of weight loss in different ways. This is how I broke my plateau and got on track. For some people, this won't work, for others, different parts might!

Exercise calories are ALWAYS a big topic. I think people should do whatever works best for them. Personally, I was doing all of this exercise and I was eating those calories back. Nothing happened. I wasn't eating the cleanest, but I would say 60% of my diet was clean. Around July 10th, I began JM's 30 Day Shred, ate 98% clean, and netted between 1,000 and 1,2000 calories a day. WHAM I have dropped 7 pounds since then, and I am only 3 pounds away from being "normal" according to the BMI thing. It's not just about the scale though. My stomach is definitely smaller (thanks JM) and I FEEL good. To me, feeling good is the best part, and I do attribute that to eating clean more than my exercise routine. (My food diary is open for anyone who wants to peek)

For everyone struggling with a plateau, it's no fun! I pretty much hit a 6 month plateau period. There are loads of good ideas floating around here, but not every one of them will work for you! There are a lot of good posts to eat your exercise calories. That didn't work for me... but I never know - when I lose some more weight my body might change! Just keep trying new things, but don't try them for 1 or 2 days and then mark it as not working.

... I'm really excited! And proud of myself for finally taking accountability for what I put in my mouth.

Best of luck to everyone, have super duper days, and keep going to feel your best!